Check-holder.



C. HARVEY.

CHECK HULDER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16. me. LQUZJJL 1L. Patented Oct 24, 1916.

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CHARLES HARVEY, 0F SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CHECK-HOLDER.

Application filed June 16, 1916.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, bn'AnLns HARVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of MiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Check-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to holders supported by a belt worn by a restaurant waiter or otherwise supported on the person of the waiter, and adapted to detachably confine checks such as are given to customers for presentation to a cashier, the checks being bound together in packs, and each including a stub which is retained by the waiter, and a body portion which is detached and given to the customer.

The invention relates particularly to a check holder having clamping members operable by a key to indent and securely engage the'edges of checks assembled in a pack, in such manner as to permit the de-.

tachment of the check bodies and render impossible theremoval of the stubs from the holder while the latter is in its operative condition, the said clamping members being also key-operated to release the stubs and permit their removal and the insertion of other complete check packs.

The invention is embodied in the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a check holder embodying my invention; Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of part .,of one of the flanged clamping members of the holder; Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of a pack of checks adapted to be held by the holder; Fig. 41 represents a side view of the holder and a charge of checks engaged therewith; Fig. 5 represents an end view of the holder; Fig. 6 represents a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 41; Fig. 7 represents a section on line 7-7 of Fig. l; Fig. 8 represents a perspective view showing a modified construction; Fig. 9 represents a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 represents a section on line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all the views.

My improved holder is composed of two opposed socket members forming opposite side walls, an end wall, and two transverse walls of a check-receiving socket which is open at one end, and is adapted to receive Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. 241, 1916.

Serial No. 103,980.

the stub portions of a pack 12 of checks, said checks being bound together by a staple 13, or otherwise, at their stub ends, and transversely perforated at 14 to permit the detachment of their body portions from their stub portions.

In the embodiment of the invention shown by Figs. 1, 2, 1, 5, 6 and 7, each member is composed of a flat side wall 15 constituting a clamping member adapted to bear on one edge of the pack, a flange 16 constituting a part of a sectional end wall adapted to bear on the inner end of the pack, and flanges 17 and 18, constituting portions of transverse sectional outer and inner walls adapted to bear respectively on the top and bottom of the pack.

The flanges 18 are provided with complemental hinge members 19 and 20 connected by a pintle 21, these parts constituting a flexible hinge connection at the inner transverse wall, permitting relative movements of the two members to expand and contract the socket. The flanges 17 are enlarged to form ears 22 and 23, one having a tapped orifice 24 and the other a bearing 25 having a shoulder 26 (Fig. 6).

27 represents a clamping screw engaged with the tapped orifice 24;, and rotatable in the bearing 25, said screw having a collar 28 abutting against the shoulder 26.

The rotation of the screw in one direction draws the two members together, thus positively contracting the socket and holding the clamping members 15 positively against the edges of the pack, said clamping members having check-edge-indenting jaws 29, adapted to form grooves in the edges of the checks inserted in the socket, and firmly secure the checks to the holder. The rotation of the screw in the opposite direction permits the expansion of the socket, releases checks or check stubs previously confined therein and permits the free insertion of other checks. On the flanges 18 are formed outwardly projecting arms 30 provided at their outer ends with complemental hinge members 31, 32, connected by a pintle 33 in alinement with the pintle 21. The arms 30 constitute a supporting base projecting from the socket and adapted to support the flexible body portions of the checks, the hinge connection between the outer ends of said arms rendering the base flexible crosswise with the flexible inner transverse wall.

In the above described embodiment of the invent-ion each socket member and the base arm 30 thereon is preferably cast in one piece from suitable metal such as aluminum.

In the embodiment of the invention shown by Figs. 8 9 and 10, the two socket members are made from a single piece or blank adapted to be formed by suitable dies. The clamping members 15 having the flanges 16 and 17*, corresponding to the flanges l6 and 17 are integrally connected by a flexible inner transverse wall 35, which constitutes the equivalent of the hinged flanges 18, as a flexible connection between the two members. The flanges 17 a are provided with ears 22 and 28*, which constitute the equivalent of the ears or enlargements 22 and 23, the ear 22 having a tapped orifice engaging the thread of the clamping screw 27, while the ear 23 has a bearing in which said screw is rotatable. The check-supporting base in this'embodiment of the invention may be a relatively thin flat-sided arm 30" integral with the flexible transverse wall 35, and flexible therewith.

The holder is provided as usual in devices of this character with means for engaging a belt or other portion of the clothing of a waiter, and said means may be embodied in a clip 37, pivoted at 38. to one of the clamping members 15, and pressed by a spring 39 against said member, as shown by Figs. 4, 5 and 6, or in a resilient bent strip attached to one of the clamping members and bent to form a spring clip 37 as shown by Figs. 8 and 9. The clamping screw may be rotated by a key 41 formed to engage a squared post 42 on the outer end of the screw.

Each embodiment of the invention is characterized by a flexible inner transverse wall constituting a flexible connection between the two socket members, and means directly connected with the outer transverse wall for positively exerting pressure on said members to contract the socket.

I desire to be understood as limiting myself to a holder thus characterized, the same being an improvement on other holders now in use, in that the flexible connection is a part of the socket andrelatively near the pressure exerting means so that the structure is compact and the opposed members are free from liability to spring or have lost motion between the flexible connection and the pressure-exerting means.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A check holder composed of two socket members collectively forming a contractible socket having walls formed to embrace the stub end of a pack of connected checks, said socket having opposed transverse walls, one of which is flexible and adapted to bear on one side of the pack, while the opposite transverse wall is composed of sections movable toward each other to contract the socket, said sectional wall being provided with clamping means adapted to hold the socket positively contracted on the edges of the pack.

2. A check holder comprising two opposed clamping members adapted to bear on opposite edges of a pack of checks, a flexible inner transverse wall adapted to bear on the bottom of the pack and permitting the said clamping members to swing toward and from each other, an end wall adapted to bear on the inner end of the pack, and composed of independent sections movable with the clamping members toward and from each other, an outer transverse wall adapted to bear on the top of the pack and composed of independent'sections movable with the clamping members and with the sections of the end wall, said clamping members, transverse wall and end wall forming a hinged contractible socket, and clamping means adapted to positively contract said socket and hold the clamping members positively engaged with the edges of the pack.

3. A check holder comprising two opposed clamping members adapted to bear on opposite edges of a pack of checks, a flexible inner transverse wall adapted to bear on the bottom of the pack and permitting the said clamping members to swing toward and from each other, an end wall adapted to bear on the inner end of the pack, and composed of independent sections movable with the clamping members toward and from each other, an outer transverse Wall adapted to bear on the top of the pack and composed of independent sections movable with the clamping members and with the sections of the end wall, said clamping members, transverse wall and end wall forming a hinged contractible socket, ears formed on the sections of the outer transverse wall, one of said ears being provided with a tapped orifice and the, other with a bearing and a clamping screw engaged with said orifice and rotatable in said bearing and adapted to positively contract said socket and hold the clamping members positively engaged with the edges of the pack.

4. A check holder composed of two socket members collectively forming a contractible socket having walls formed to embrace the stub end of a pack of connected checks, said socket having opposed transverse walls, one of which is flexible and adapted to bear on one side of the pack, while the opposite transverse wall is composed of sections movable toward each other to contract the socket, said sectional wall being provided with clamping means adapted to hold the socket positively contracted on the edges of the pack, the flexible transverse wall being provided with a flexible check-supporting base adapted to be flexed with said wall- 5. A check holder having means for e11- gaging a supporting device, and comprising two opposed flanged socket members forming opposite side Walls, a sectional end Wall, and tWo sectional transverse Walls, one of said transverse Walls being provided with hinge members, a hinge pintle connecting said hinge members, ears formed on the opposite sectional transverse Wall, one of said 10 ears being provided With a tapped orifice and the other with a shouldered bearing, and a clamping screw rotatable in said bearing and engaged With said orifice, said screw having a collar abutting on the shoulder of said bearing, the said side Walls being provided with check-edge-indenting jaws which project into said socket.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

CHARLES HARVEY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

